In the age of wellness, resistance training has finally stepped out of the shadows of bodybuilding culture. While people still associate it with building muscle mass, science is increasingly clear on another, often overlooked benefit of resistance training: injury prevention. Whether you’re an athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone simply trying to stay mobile, lifting weights may be one of the most effective tools for staying injury-free.
Rethinking “Strong”
Injuries are typically treated as random events — the result of bad luck, missteps or pushing too hard – but in reality, most non-contact injuries stem from being underprepared. If someone has inadequate muscle strength, joint stability, and mobility relative to what is required for a physical task, then they are at greater risk of sprains, tears, and overuse syndromes.
Lauersen and colleagues, in their large-scale meta-analysis (2018), found that increasing strength training volume by only 10% reduced exercise injuries, far outperforming stretching or proprioceptive (balance) work. Their review, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, included over 7000 participants across varying sport and fitness levels.
Preventing Falls and Fractures
It’s not just athletes who benefit. A randomised controlled trial (Keating et al., 2021) found that older adults who performed resistance exercises twice weekly significantly improved their balance, leg strength and walking speed — all crucial factors in falls prevention.
Joints
The knee is one of the most frequently injured joints. In a 2021 study (Messier et al.) the researchers examined resistance training in people with early-stage knee osteoarthritis. Not only did participants report less pain and improved mobility, but imaging also suggested reduced cartilage deterioration, hinting at deeper structural benefits.
Tendons and Ligaments
Injuries to tendons and ligaments can take months to heal and often recur. But research suggests these tissues, once thought to be unchangeable, respond positively to mechanical load.
A 2015 study (Bohm et al.) demonstrated that regular resistance training increased tendon stiffness and thickness, making them more resilient to strain. This is critical because tendon injuries, like Achilles tendinopathy or tennis elbow, are not just the result of overuse, but of under-preparation — when tendons haven’t been conditioned to handle repeated stress.
Consistency Over Intensity
One of the most encouraging findings across these studies is that injury prevention doesn’t require extreme weights or complex routines. A 2018 review by Suchomel and colleagues outlined that even moderate resistance training (around 60–75% of one-rep max) performed 2–3 times a week significantly lowered injury incidence across athletic and recreational populations. It’s not about punishing your body — it’s about consistency.
Future-proofing the Body
Injury prevention through resistance training isn’t just for the elite or the ageing. As our lifestyles become more sedentary and screen-based, the simple act of moving with intention under load may be one of the most powerful health interventions available. Resistance training doesn’t only make you stronger — it makes you harder to break.
References
Bohm, S., Mersmann, F., & Arampatzis, A. (2015). Human tendon adaptation in response to mechanical loading: a systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise intervention studies on healthy adults. Sports medicine – open, 1(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-015-0009-9
Keating, C. J., Cabrera-Linares, J. C., Párraga-Montilla, J. A., Latorre-Román, P. A., Del Castillo, R. M., & García-Pinillos, F. (2021). Influence of Resistance Training on Gait & Balance Parameters in Older Adults: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 1759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041759
Lauersen, J.B., Bertelsen, D.M., & Andersen, L.B. (2018). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(24), 1557–1563. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099078
Messier SP, Mihalko SL, Beavers DP, et al. Effect of High-Intensity Strength Training on Knee Pain and Knee Joint Compressive Forces Among Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis: The START Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021;325(7):646–657. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.0411
Suchomel, T. J., Nimphius, S., Bellon, C. R., & Stone, M. H. (2018). The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 48(4), 765–785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0862-z
